Crown of Flowers
by Izuro
Summary: Yuuri gives Wolfram a crown of flowers as a one-year anniversary of Yuuri's transportation to New Makoku. Wolfram is delighted, at least until he realizes he isn't the only one who received one.
1. Default Chapter

Crown of Flowers

By Dejiko Mew Mew

"There! It's done!" Yuuri smiled to himself. He took the item in his hands and left the garden. It wasn't too long before he had located his target. "Ah! Wolfram!"

"What is it, Yuuri?" the blonde asked casually, turning around. He jumped back a bit when he met Yuuri's unusually ecstatic face. "Wh—What is it?" he asked again, a bit more rushed.

Yuuri moved his hands from behind his back and revealed in his palms a crown of flowers.

"Tada!" he beamed proudly.

"What... is it?" Wolfram asked one last time, this time an air of confusion in his tone.

"It's a crown!" Yuuri squealed happily. He quickly placed it upon Wolfram's head.

"I can see that, but..." he sighed. "What for?"

"Well, it's been one year since I first came to this land," Yuuri explained, "and therefore, one year since we've met."

Wolfram's face instantly reddened. His usual suave manner was thrown off as he tried to respond and could only stammer incomprehensibly.

"Th—Thanks," he retorted quickly, turning away as if it would conceal his joy.

"Glad you like it," Yuuri nodded. "Well, I'll see ya!"

He ran off then, back inside the castle. Wolfram's fingers slowly touched the delicate flowers atop his head and he felt a bit dizzy, as if all the blushing were draining his energy.

Wolfram stood in his room, examining himself in the mirror. If it were any other crown of flowers, he was sure he'd have looked ridiculous, but he seemed to find that Yuuri's crown suited him well. He may have even cracked a smile over it.

A sudden knock on the door surprised Wolfram and he nearly fell to the ground in shock. He sighed, regained his composure, and opened the door. His eyes shot open and he found himself once again struggling to keep his balance.

"Ah... Wolfram? Are you all right," Konrad asked. The boy slowly nodded, but his eyes remained wide. "Gwendal has asked for your presence in his study."

"Huh...? Oh... yes, of course..." he stammered quietly.

"Is something the matter?" Konrad interrogated. Wolfram shook his head feverishly in disagreement, but then slowly nodded.

"Where... Where did you get that...?" he asked shyly, pointing to the crown of flowers adorning Konrad's head.

"From Heika, of course," Konrad replied earnestly. "Isn't that where yours came from?"

Wolfram stormed down the halls, clenching his fists as tightly as possible. He had never been so humiliated in his whole life.

_"Stupid Yuuri...!!" _he thought to himself as he tore through the door of his brother's study. His steady breathing could be heard from across the room, and Gwendal calmly raised his head as if to acknowledge Wolfram's presence, or perhaps to disapprove of it.

Wolfram gasped as he noticed a familiar item atop Gwendal's head: the same crown of flowers that was atop his own, the same crown of flowers that Konrad was wearing just before.

"Where did you get that!?" Wolfram shouted now, even though he already knew the answer. It was easier for him to lose his temper when dealing with Gwendal, for some reason. His brother simply glared back at him, as if Wolfram weren't worthy of an answer.

To this, Wolfram marched forward, gritting his teeth, and he slammed his palms upon Gwendal's desk.

"Answer me!!" he ordered. He was now inches from his brother's face.

"I'm only wearing it to be nice..." was all that Gwendal said then.

"That's not what I asked," Wolfram growled. Realizing he wouldn't get Gwendal to admit that Yuuri gave it to him, he decided to give up. He left in a huff.

"Ohhh, to think that he would give such a lovely thing to someone like me!" Günter squeaked, patting the crown above his head. "Heika is truly a kind, wonderful person!"

"He's such a sweet boy," Cheri nodded in agreement. "It may not be worth as much, but this crown sure looks as beautiful as any of my jewelry!"

Wolfram, of course, happened to be approaching at this instant. His steps were halted as he heard their words and saw the crowns ornamenting their heads. He was no longer shocked to see that more people were wearing his special crown, but increasingly infuriated.

"Ah, Wolf!" Cheri shrieked with joy, running towards him and embracing him tightly. "You look so darling in your little crown! Just like a miniature, male me!"

"Shut up," Wolfram grumbled, pushing himself away from her.

"Ohhh, Wolf? Are you in a bad mood again?" she sighed helplessly. "How can I make it better?"

"Just leave me alone!!" he snapped. He ran away before she could object again.

_"Stupid, STUPID Yuuri!!"_ he screamed in his head. He tore the crown from his head and ripped it to pieces and threw it to the ground as he opened the door of his room and slammed it shut behind him.

Yuuri was walking through the halls, humming to himself happily. Today was such a great day, and he was glad that everyone liked the crowns he had made. Making them was a little art that his mother had taught him when he was little. He never thought it was anything special, but he was grateful for it today.

Yuuri stopped in his tracks as he stood before Wolfram's door. What had caught his eye were the remnants of what had once been a flower crown. He slowly knelt down and picked up the pieces, and then he shifted his gaze to Wolfram's room. He carefully approached and placed his ear upon the door. He thought he could hear soft cries coming from inside.

He was hesitant, but he decided he had to do something to help, so he knocked and prayed that Wolfram would answer. The room fell silent, and after a few anguished moments, the door slowly opened, if only a crack. Wolfram peered through and glared at Yuuri; his eyes were slightly red.

"W—Wolfram?" Yuuri choked out quietly, as if afraid to even speak. "Were you... crying?"

"No!" Wolfram roared, preparing to slam the door shut. Before he could, however, Yuuri stuck his arm in the way and cried out in pain as it was mashed between the door and the frame. "Yuuri!"

"Ow..." Yuuri had to mention first. After getting that out of the way, he looked into Wolfram's eyes. "What's wrong? Do you want to talk about it?"

Wolfram would have liked to be difficult then. He would have liked to say no, to confine himself to his misery, and most of all, to not see the one whom he was so upset with in the first place.

However, he slowly opened the door and let Yuuri inside. He didn't apologize for hurting his arm, although he was slightly worried about it and silently felt bad.

"You... You dropped this outside..." Yuuri tried to laugh, handing Wolfram what used to be his crown. "Ahh... Except... You didn't... Did you? Not on accident, anyways..."

Wolfram was not quite willing to respond yet. He didn't know what to say or even what to yell. He only knew that he was hurt and that he wasn't ready to admit that to Yuuri just yet.

"Are you that mad...?" Yuuri asked now, a hint of fear under his breath. He took Wolfram's hands into his own and looked deep into his eyes. "You won't even answer me?" Wolfram shut his eyes and turned away. "You won't even _look_ at me? Wolfram!"

"Shut up!!" Wolfram cried and pulled away from him. He looked back at Yuuri with anger, his wet eyes seeming to hold back tears. "You're so...!!"

"I'm so... what?" Yuuri wondered.

"... _Nice_," Wolfram sighed with irritation.

"I'm... sorry..." Yuuri apologized lightly, for he wasn't entirely sure that he was expected to apologize.

"I was..." Wolfram started. Too embarrassed to continue, he turned his back to Yuuri.

"Please tell me," Yuuri begged. "Whatever it is I did wrong, I'll never do it again! I mean... I'll do my best... I'll try not to do it again!!"

"I was happy!!" Wolfram shouted, clenching his fists. Yuuri fell silent. "I was happy when you gave it to me... I thought... I thought it was special..."

"Wolfram, I don't understand..." Yuuri admitted. "It _was_ special... wasn't it?"

"It _was_," Wolfram retorted with a half-laugh, "until I saw that everyone in the _kingdom_ was wearing the same one!"

As expected, Yuuri was unable to answer. Wolfram knew, at this point, that the conversation from here on was up to him.

"I don't... I don't understand..." Yuuri apologized, lowering his head.

"Of _course_ you don't!" Wolfram sighed heavily. "Yuuri, you're so _stupid_!! It doesn't matter _what_ I say because you're too _dense_ to get it!"

"To... To get what...?" Yuuri questioned.

"Never mind!" Wolfram growled, throwing his hands into the air.

"I'm sorry!" Yuuri swore. "I'm trying! Really, I am!!"

"And you _still_ don't understand?"

Yuuri shook his head. Wolfram rolled his eyes, and leaned towards Yuuri. He placed his right hand upon his cheek and quickly kissed him. Yuuri's eyes shot open with surprise, and as Wolfram's left departed from his own, his mouth remained open. He felt a strange sensation throughout his entire body, which was left paralyzed.

"Now... Can you still say you don't understand...?" Wolfram interrogated.

To Be Continued??


	2. Wandering

Crown of Flowers

Chapter Two

By Dejiko Mew Mew

Yuuri stood in his pajamas before two large doors, pillow and blanket in hand, staring straight forward as if it would open itself. He had done this two times already, but it hadn't gotten any easier. Hesitantly, he sighed and knocked lightly upon the door. Not long after, it opened and Gwendal appeared. He glared down at Yuuri, waiting for the explanation as he eyed the boy's attire and possessions.

"Eh... Um..." Yuuri stammered, face red with embarrassment. He squinted his eyes tight. "C-Can I... sleep with you tonight??"

Gwendal did not respond with words, but a definite grunt indicating surprise or otherwise escaped him.

"Ahhh That is... I—I had a bad dream, and I can't sleep... and... and I thought... I'll sleep on the floor! I just..." Yuuri went on.

"Why don't you ask Konrad... or Günter...?" Gwendal interrogated. Yuuri's eyes widened.

"Um..."

He couldn't say it. He couldn't tell Gwendal that he had already gone to them the past two nights, especially since he had used the same excuse three times now. Yuuri wasn't even sure how long he could continue like this. All he knew was Wolfram was still sleeping in his bed, and he couldn't deal with that right now. Not after...

"All right then," Gwendal agreed, allowing Yuuri to enter his room. Yuuri was utterly relieved and bowed and thanked Gwendal several times. He also apologized.

"Gwendal, your room is so..." Yuuri began to comment. He looked around. Stuffed animals filled the shelves, as well as a good portion of the bed; paw print wallpaper adorned the walls, and he was pretty sure that was a kitty-ear headband on the desk. "Cute..."

Gwendal, perhaps unable to, didn't answer. He simply grabbed a handful of animals from the bed and placed them on his desk. He unfolded the blanket and patted a spot for Yuuri, who didn't move. He only stood there with his still-wide eyes.

"You're going to sleep, right?" Gwendal asked sternly.

"Ah H-Hai!!" Yuuri squeaked. He did not wish to anger Gwendal, especially after asking such a favor. He quickly jumped into bed and pulled the covers up. It was awkward enough, but as he closed his eyes, he felt a definite warmth against his body and an arm outstretched across him. "G-G-Gwendal...!!?"

"Hm?" Gwendal responded as if it were nothing. Yuuri met his icy cold eyes once again and shook his head, deciding not to say anything. After all, Gwendal didn't have any stuffed animals in his bed because of him... He might as well return the favor; perhaps Gwendal needed something to cuddle with in order to fall asleep.

Still, it was awkward... Yuuri now found it difficult to even close his eyes, much less fall asleep. Gwendal was out of it and Yuuri was jealous. He wished that he could enjoy an easy sleep like that, but it was the darkness of night that seemed to leave Yuuri with his thoughts and worries. It was at this time when he could not focus on anything else.

_"How long am I going to run from Wolfram...?"_ he asked himself. _"I bet he's still mad... And it probably wouldn't help if he knew I've been going to his brothers' rooms..."_

He tried his best to not think about it. However, the night was long and he wasn't sure what time he had drifted into slumber. He knew it was late, for the darkness had grown increasingly brighter.

And so, he had woken up feeling not very rejuvenated. Gwendal had already left the room, and his half of the bed was neatly made. Yuuri did his best to make his side look the same, although it was a little off... Actually, it was very off. Who knew making a bed could be so difficult?

Yuuri decided that he would check his room, and hopefully, Wolfram would have left by now. He did not intend to walk around all day in his pajamas.

He arrived and was relieved greatly to find his room empty. He took a moment to wonder where Wolfram might have gone and another moment to worry if he might come back. Not wanting to take any chances, he quickly changed and quickly left. The moment he shut the door behind him, however, he stood face to face with his current fear.

"Yuuri..." Wolfram said quietly. There was no particular expression on his face, and this worried Yuuri immensely.

"W-Wolfram!" he choked out, his back hard against the door. He wasn't ready for this. He didn't know what Wolfram would say or what he would do or if he would say or do anything at all, but he wasn't about to wait around and find out. "I... um, there's someplace I have to be!"

Yuuri dashed off, and Wolfram extended a hand to try to grab him, but he was too late and missed. He slowly lowered his arm and sighed. He wasn't about to chase after Yuuri who was obviously so desperate to get away from him. In anger, he kicked the door and walked away.

Yuuri slowly came to a halt and leaned against a rail for support. His heart was racing and his breathing was heavy. He moaned a bit to himself and fell to his knees.

"That was... That was close..." he sighed aloud.

"What was close?" a voice quickly questioned from behind. Yuuri screamed and jumped to his feet.

"G-Gwendal!" he cried. "You scared me... Don't do that!"

Gwendal did not apologize, but somehow, his face seemed to show it a bit.

"Sorry," Yuuri laughed. "Um... I wanted to thank you again... for last night..."

"My brother tells me you've been avoiding him," Gwendal said, as if completely ignoring Yuuri's comment. Yuuri felt dizzy and his eyes widened.

"Uh... Um... That is...!!" he stammered.

"I'm not going to ask for your reasons," Gwendal continued. "I'm not even going to tell him I mentioned it to you. I simply... wanted to know."

"Oh... Um..." Yuuri mumbled, twiddling his fingers. "It's not really... _avoiding_..." He trailed off as Gwendal's fierce eyes laid their gaze upon him again. It always made Yuuri uncomfortable. He could never begin to imagine what Gwendal might be thinking of him. He realized that trying to converse with Gwendal was perhaps just as difficult as dealing with Wolfram.

"At any rate, I should get going..." Yuuri said suddenly. "See you a—"

He wasn't able to finish, for as he turned, he tripped on a loose tile and started to fall. Before he hit the ground, Gwendal extended an arm across his back and gently caught him. Yuuri's cheeks turned red and he felt lightheaded.

"I—I'm sorry..." he apologized quickly. It was a few moments before Gwendal stood him upright once more.

"Be more careful," he said. Yuuri slowly nodded and continued on his way. He put a hand to his chest and felt his beating heart.

_"Why... Why is my heart beating so fast...?"_ he asked himself. He shook his head out and decided it must have been the surprise of almost falling so suddenly.

Yuuri slowly, steadily wandered about the castle. Things sure were boring lately. He wondered if it was because Wolfram wasn't around. Could it be possible that the arrogant young boy actually made the days more exciting? Well, he did have a very interesting personality...

He shook his head out as if it would clear his mind of such thoughts. _"Bad Yuuri, bad!"_ he scolded himself. He had to stop thinking about Wolfram.

He passed by the bath, and his eyes lit up. Of course! Why hadn't he thought of it sooner!?

He ran inside and jumped in, not bothering to take off his clothes. He waited to be transported back to his land, but after several moments, he was becoming aware that that wouldn't be happening.

"Why does it never work when I need it to...?" he sighed heavily. He climbed out and sulked a bit for now having drenched clothes. He'd have to go back to his room and change.

He continued along the walkways, leaving a nice wet trail behind him. At last, he had arrived back at his room. He walked forward to open the door, but stopped quite suddenly when he felt the tile beneath him lower significantly.

"What the...!!??" he choked out as two long mechanical arms rose from the ground and grabbed him by the waist, leaving him to dangle in midair. "What _is_ this!!??"

A woman's laugh was heard, subtly at first, and then increasingly louder as the figure approached.

"I'm glad you asked," Anissina beamed. "That is very brand-new special invention, Capturing-His-Majesty-kun!!"

"Capturing... What!?" Yuuri squeaked. His eyes slowly widened as another figure appeared beside her, arms folded.

"Actually, this one was a request," she smiled, giving a hand to the boy.

"Wolfram..." Yuuri whispered in shock.

"Yuuri, this time you can't run away," he assured him. Yuuri's heart sank. He attempted to struggle a bit, but found it to be in vain. It was just as Wolfram had said; this time he couldn't run away. At this point, Yuuri shut his eyes and gave in. He wished it had been a dream. He wished he would wake up right now.

At the same time, he knew that wasn't going to happen. His breath grew shorter with each step that Wolfram took towards him. He had never felt his heart beat so fast. He had never been so afraid in his life. He really had no idea what was going to happen.

"Thank you, Anissina," Wolfram called back to her then. "Could you please leave us for a moment? I'd like to speak with his Majesty."

TO BE CONTINUED (for sure, this time)


	3. Confrontation

Crown of Flowers

Chapter Three

By Dejiko Mew Mew

Yuuri dangled in the clutches of Anissina's latest invention, a very intense Wolfram coming ever closer to him. Wolfram stopped about a foot away from Yuuri. He looked up at him and narrowed his eyebrows.

"Y-Yo, Wolfram...!" Yuuri greeted nervously, waving a slightly trembling hand. Wolfram didn't reply. _"Ahh...!! He's pissed!!"_

Wolfram clenched his teeth and raised a hand, as if preparing to strike. Yuuri cringed in anticipation, but after a moment or so, he realized he was unscathed. He looked back at Wolfram, who had lowered his arm as well as his head.

"Why...?" he asked. Yuuri swallowed hard. He wished now that Wolfram _had_ hit him. He deserved it, anyway, but it would have been easier to take than this. "Why have you been ignoring me?"

"I-Ignoring?? Who, me?" Yuuri lied. "I haven't been—"

"Don't lie!!" Wolfram scolded, silencing Yuuri immediately. "Did I do something _that_ terrible? Was it _that_ awful to you?"

Yuuri's mouth opened, but no words left. He wanted to calm Wolfram down. He wanted this to be over and for things to be like they were, but he had no words to make it happen. He lowered his head and slowly turned away.

"And _now_ look who's turning away and being silent!" Wolfram pointed out. "Yuuri! I don't know what you want from me...!!"

"Neither do I!!" Yuuri finally spoke, meeting Wolfram eye to eye. They both watched each other for a moment then, eyes wide. Yuuri was beginning to realize the problem. He didn't dislike Wolfram, but he wasn't quite sure how he felt of him. Perhaps instead of running from this situation for the past few days, he should have been thinking more deeply on it. He reprimanded himself for that at this point. "I really... don't know..."

This left Wolfram struggling for words. He sighed deeply. Was this good enough for him, for the moment? That was the question running through his mind.

"Can you... Can you give me a bit more time...?" Yuuri asked then. Wolfram blushed.

"I... I suppo—"

"HEEEIKA!!!" a familiar voice screeched. Thunderous footsteps were heard coming ever closer and seemed to be traveling with a large cloud of dust.

"Gün—!!" Wolfram started, but was cut off as the mountain of dust plowed into him and knocked him down the hall. Günter now stood between the two of them, arms outstretched as to blockade Yuuri from Wolfram. "Günter!!" Wolfram shouted as he rose to his feet, brushing the dust off of his clothes.

"What are you doing to Heika!?" Günter demanded to know.

"It's none of your business!!" Wolfram assured him. "Get away from my fiancé!!"

"Ah... Now, now..." Yuuri attempted to calm the two of them down, but of course it was in vain.

"Fear not, Heika! I will protect you!!" Günter swore, as he turned and embraced Yuuri tightly around the waist, the sight of which set Wolfram off.

"Yuuri, you _cheater_!!" he cried. "You wanted more time so that you could go about gallivanting with others, didn't you!?"

"No way...!!" Yuuri gasped in disbelief. Why was Wolfram always like this? He wasn't even the one doing anything!

"What a way to speak to his Majesty...!" Günter sighed painfully as he drew his sword. "I won't forgive it!!"

"You intend to fight me, then?" Wolfram laughed haughtily. He drew his own. "Fine then!"

"NO!!" Yuuri protested. "No fighting!!"

Wolfram and Günter looked at one another, eyes burning, and reluctantly sheathed their weapons. Yuuri breathed a sigh of relief. Things just always had to get this complicated.

"Forgive my rashness, Heika," Günter bowed. "Allow me to make it up to you. Would you like to sleep in my quarters once again tonight?"

Yuuri just about died. Wolfram's eyes shot open and all breath left his body.

"A-Again...!?" Wolfram sputtered.

"Ahh... Wolfram, it's not what—" Yuuri tried to explain.

"Shut up, you _cheater_!!!" Wolfram retorted furiously. He shook his head in disbelief and ran away.

"W—Wolfram...!!" Yuuri beckoned, but he was already gone. "And it was just getting back to normal..."

Yuuri, finally free of Anissina's contraption, sat with Günter, working on his studies. He found it even more difficult to concentrate than usual.

"Heika... My apologies if I have wounded your spirit," Günter spoke suddenly. "However, do not trouble your mind with Wolfram. He's just being his usual self."

"I—I know that... Thanks for your help, Günter... It's not your fault... It's mine," Yuuri replied.

"But it _pains_ me to see his Majesty in such a state," Günter whined, leaning forward on the desk and grabbing Yuuri's hands. "Is there... _anything_... I can do to help?"

"Th—Thank you, Günter..." Yuuri laughed nervously. "I think I'll be all right..."

Yuuri paused as Günter stared into his eyes intently, his warm hands still wrapped around his own. He felt his face redden a bit.

"G... Günter...?"

At this, Günter finally snapped out of it and pulled away. He danced about the room, shrieking with embarrassment.

"F—Forgive me, Heika!! I was in my own world for a moment...!!" he apologized. Yuuri blushed and decided he wouldn't ask what Günter had envisioned then.

However, it had become apparent that, while dealing with Wolfram could be trying, dealing with Günter was not much better.

"Günter... I'm gonna head for now," Yuuri smiled politely, standing to his feet and bowing. He attempted to flee quickly, but of course, Günter would never stand idle should that happen.

"Heika! Wait!" he called, grabbing Yuuri's wrist. Yuuri quickly turned to face him, but his rear leg caught his left and he lost his balance, falling to the ground. Günter quickly dived to the floor beneath him and took the impact of the fall as he embraced Yuuri tightly.

Yuuri slowly sat upright and found himself atop Günter in a straddle. It wasn't long before he realized his position and jumped to his feet, screaming in fright.

"Heika, are you wounded?" Günter asked, slowly rising to his feet.

"N—Not at all!" Yuuri bowed. "Thanks, Günter!"

He was about to continue his exit when the door opened itself. Both he and Günter stood, surprised, as an hourglass figure appeared in the doorway.

"Cheri-sama...?" Günter announced. As the background light blended, her face was clearly visible, sending shock to both of the boys. She was crying.

"Heika!" she sobbed, falling forward and crying into his hair, leaving his face buried in her chest.

"Ch-Cheri-sama...?" Yuuri mumbled through her skin. He made sure to get a nice deep breath of air when she finally released him. "... What happened?"

"That's...!" she wailed. "It's... It's Wolf!"

"What happened to Wolfram!?" Yuuri gasped. Günter seemed to lose interest.

"I went into his room, and... All I found was..." she trailed, handing Yuuri a piece of paper. Yuuri read through it carefully. His eyes widened and he looked back at Cheri with fright.

"He's... He's been kidnapped...!?"

TO BE CONTINUED!!


	4. Revelation

Crown of Flowers

Chapter Four

By Dejiko Mew Mew

Yuuri dashed about the castle wildly, shouting for Konrad at the top of his lungs, over and over again.

"KONRAD!!!!"

"Heika...?" he responded with surprise when at last Yuuri had caught him. "What's wrong? You're out of breath."

"W... W... Wolfram...!" Yuuri expelled in short gasps. Konrad's eyes narrowed. He grabbed Yuuri's shoulders and gazed into his eyes.

"What about him?" Konrad asked.

"He's... He's been kidnapped!!" Yuuri bawled. To this, Konrad lowered his head and, although he attempted to hold it in, laughed a bit. "What's so funny!!?? Why does everyone laugh when I say that!!??" He remembered when Cheri had first told him, and Günter began laughing uncontrollably. He remembered when he ran to Gwendal's study, and even he seemed to crack his hard exterior and laugh a bit. "Not you, too, Konrad..."

"My apologies," Konrad bowed. "If it's Wolfram, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. He is quite strong, after all."

"But it's because of that that I'm worried," Yuuri explained. "If he's that strong, how was he taken in the first place? Are these guys really that strong?? Or... Or maybe... he _let_ himself get taken..."

"Let himself?" Konrad echoed. "Did something happen?"

"Ah... Well..." Yuuri frowned, blushing with embarrassment. Konrad laid a soft hand upon his shoulder.

"It's all right, if you don't want to talk about it," he assured him. Yuuri smiled faintly. "Now, how shall we go about retrieving Wolfram?"

"Well, Cheri-sama found this in his room..." he replied, unfolding the letter and handing it to Konrad.

"A ransom note?" he realized. "So, money was their objective..."

"I guess even in this country, there are people desperate enough for it... right?" Yuuri questioned. Konrad simply nodded, to which Yuuri felt a bit disheartened. "It doesn't matter where you go, does it? There's always poverty, crime, discrimination, and wars..."

"But there is also kindness, justice, friendship, and love," Konrad smiled. Yuuri smiled. Konrad was always so optimistic, but everything he said always had truth to it. Compared to the other brothers, Yuuri was the most comfortable around him.

Meanwhile, Wolfram sat in a rather dull room with not even a window and only a couple of pint-sized candles for light. He sat, his arms behind his back and chained to a chair, with a collar strapped around his neck. There were three men guarding him.

_"Damnit...!!" _he thought to himself. _"If only they hadn't put this stupid collar on me, I could use my fire power to get out of here easily...!"_

Apparently, the collar was a special item which restricted its bearer from using magic. Wolfram sighed heavily, his expression set on anger.

Kidnapped. He absolutely couldn't believe it. And yet, he was most upset about letting it happen. Had he not been so upset about Yuuri, he wouldn't have been caught off-guard like that.

And then, the thought of Yuuri broke his angry façade and he became a bit depressed once more. How could he have done that with Günter!?

"Yuuri, you big, stupid idiot!!!!" Wolfram shouted now, rocking back and forth in his chair, throwing quite a tantrum. His guards didn't seem to know how to respond to this. They just sort of eyed Wolfram uneasily.

After calming down a bit, Wolfram remembered that his kidnappers had left a ransom note. He wondered if Yuuri would come...

Konrad sat mounted upon his horse, and he extended his hand toward Yuuri, offering a lift. Yuuri blinked a few times in confusion.

"We're only taking one horse?" he asked. Konrad nodded.

"The letter says we should arrive at eleven tonight. If we want to make it on time, we've got to hurry, and... Well, Heika hasn't quite fully grasped the ability of riding just yet."

Yuuri blushed with embarrassment. He hated to admit that Konrad was right. He made a note to practice a bit more here and there. Nevertheless, he took Konrad's hand and sat behind him.

"Hold on tight," Konrad instructed. Yuuri didn't react as quickly, perhaps, as he should have, and when the horse took off, he fell back a bit and grabbed Konrad's waist tightly so as not too fall. He found himself clung tightly to his back.

_"Hmm... Konrad really is a warm person, both emotionally and physically..."_ Yuuri noted. _"... I mean, why am I thinking things like that!!??"_

"Are you all right, Heika?" Konrad asked him, glancing back over his shoulder.

"H-Hai!" Yuuri assured him.

"Don't worry," Konrad smiled then. "I won't let you fall."

They rode on for a while, exchanging stories every so often, but Yuuri never let go of Konrad.

Suddenly, the horse came to a stop. Konrad and Yuuri now found themselves face to face with what appeared to be a gang of thieves. They all wielded weapons and wore masks over their faces.

"What's this?" Yuuri questioned. "A traveling circus?"

"No, Heika," Konrad politely corrected. "These are bandits."

"B-B-Bandits!!??" Yuuri shrieked. "No... No!! Not now!!"

"Don't worry," Konrad said again. "I won't let anything happen...!!"

Several moments later...

"K... Konrad...?" Yuuri said. "... What happened?"

"My apologies, Heika..." Konrad sighed. "The skill of these bandits was a bit more than I had estimated..."

"_Skill_?" Yuuri retorted. "They all jumped you! No one could have stood up to that, no matter how good a fighter!"

"But even so..." Konrad frowned. "I... failed to protect you..."

"N-Not at all!" Yuuri insisted. "Besides... worse things could have happened..."

By this, Yuuri was referring to the fact that the two of them were only tied up, for now at least. But he bet those bandits thought it was hilarious to tie them together, _facing_ each other. They lie on the ground with Yuuri atop Konrad, snugly forced against one another.

"We just don't have time for this, is all..." Yuuri frowned. "Wolfram..."

"This is pretty boring," one of Wolfram's guards sighed. The three of them had hardly moved since binding Wolfram to the chair.

"Who cares?" another laughed. "Think of how much we're getting paid for this!"

"_Idiots_," Wolfram scoffed. "No one's coming for me..."

Suddenly, the door burst open. The guards gasped and drew their weapons, but lowered them when they realized who their visitor was.

"That's not true, Wolf!" Cheri exclaimed. She ran towards him and embraced his head while laughing. "Awwww, don't you look adorable all tied up like that?"

"M-M-Mother!!??" Wolfram choked out. "What are you doing here!? Don't tell me you're actually going to pay the ransom..."

"Ransom? What ransom?" she chuckled. "I just came to see how things are going. Hmmm, Heika's not here yet, is he?"

"Wait... Just what are you talking about? Yuuri's coming...!?" Wolfram asked in shock, his eyes lighting up. He really hadn't expected him to come.

"Of course," she winked. "Men will always come with their lover is in danger. You make such a cute damsel-in-distress."

"Mother!!" Wolfram shouted furiously. One of the guards coughed purposefully to attract her attention.

"There's still the matter of payment..." he reminded.

"Yes, yes," she smiled to them. "That will all be taken care of once everything is settled."

Wolfram may have fallen over at this moment had he not been bound to the chair.

"M-Mother!? Don't tell me you_ set this up_!!" Wolfram finally deduced.

"Well, of course I did!" she giggled. "Did you only just realize that? Ohhh, Wolf, were you _scared_?"

"I wasn't scared!!!" he assured her. "I can't believe you would do something like this!! Well... Maybe I can... But, still! Quit meddling in other people's affairs!! I'm going to tell Yuuri as soon as he gets here that—"

"That _what_?" she interrupted. "You wanted an honest answer, didn't you?"

"An... An honest answer...?" Wolfram repeated.

"About how he feels about you," she explained. Wolfram blushed wildly. "Trust me, I know his type. He'll never say it, or maybe even realize it, unless something drastic were to happen. So, play along, ne? Please, Wolf?"

To Be Continued... Yet Again 


	5. Rescue

Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own KKM or any of the characters (except for the ones I locked in my room... mwahahaha!!)

Crown of Flowers

Chapter Five

By Dejiko Mew Mew

"Heika, hold still a moment," Konrad instructed. He began to squirm a bit, as if reaching for something. Yuuri blushed wildly.

_"This feels weird..."_ he thought. _"I can feel his every movement..."_ He paused a moment and shook his head out. _"And I definitely_ _shouldn't be thinking about that!!!!"_

Konrad finally grasped his knife and slowly, steadily cut away at the ropes that bound them.

"Konrad... you're so great," Yuuri admired as he stood up and rubbed his sore arms. "I was worried for a moment that we were in real trouble."

"Had they used chains, we may have been," Konrad simply smiled. "Now... Shall we escape?" Yuuri nodded happily.

After that, there weren't many delays to keep them from arriving to the place where Wolfram was being held captive. Yuuri looked at it with slight apprehension. Would they have trouble getting Wolfram back? Or, more likely, when Wolfram saw that _Yuuri_ was there, would he _want_ to come back?

"Are you all right, Heika?" Konrad asked him. Yuuri quickly nodded and shook his hands as if to wave away any doubt from Konrad's... or his own mind.

"Konrad..." he spoke up then. "What if... What if they _are_ really strong?"

"That is what I'm here for," Konrad smiled as he placed his hand upon his sword. Yuuri laughed and nodded. He decided he probably _shouldn't_ mention the fact that Konrad had already lost once today...

They slowly approached the run-down little place. Yuuri pulled out the note and looked nervously, shifting his gaze back and forth from the paper to the door before him.

"Is this... really it?" he wondered aloud. Konrad knocked on the door. As it began to open, Yuuri jumped behind him and used him as a shield.

Three rather ordinary-looking guards stood in the doorway. Yuuri really began to wonder how strong they actually were.

"Have you brought the money?" one of them asked.

"Where's Wolfram!!??" Yuuri demanded to know. They stepped aside, and Yuuri could see him sitting there, chained to his chair. "W... Wolfram!!"

"Yuuri!!" the blonde cried back. The guards huddled together once more, yet again blocking Wolfram from Yuuri's view.

"The _money_," one of the guards persisted, outstretching a hand. Konrad placed a bag into the man's grungy hand. He fumbled with it a bit and counted the contents. He nodded to the others, and they nodded back.

"Then... Give Wolfram back!" Yuuri begged, pulling on the sleeve of the guard. He narrowed his eyes at Yuuri and kicked him in the stomach, sending him back a few yards.

"Heika!!" Konrad gasped. He quickly drew his sword, as did the guards.

What seemed to be the leader yelled to one of the lesser ranks, "Take care of the brat!! Kill him!!"

"NO!!" Yuuri shouted. "We fulfilled our part of the deal! Don't _touch_ him!!"

"Yeah, we got our money," the guard laughed. "Now we have no use for any of you!"

"That's just..." Yuuri grumbled angrily, lowering his head and clenching his fists. "That's so... That's not...!!"

"Y-Yuuri...!" Wolfram gasped. "He's going to...!"

"It's coming out again..." Konrad realized.

"That's not right at all!!!" Yuuri screamed, his hair flailing wildly as a strong wind enveloped him.

"Maou..." Wolfram breathed quietly, amazed yet again at the incredible change in aura.

"Wh—What's going on!!??" the guards yelped, clinging to each other in fear. Their weapons had slipped from their hands and onto the ground.

"He's a demon!!!" one of them screeched. They bolted for the door and attempted to flee, but Konrad extended his leg and they tripped over it, tumbling to the floor in a tangled mess.

"Not only do you go about kidnapping for your own gain, you betray the trust that was placed in your hands. To kill, simply because one has no affect upon your life is simply _not right_!" the Maou lectured.

In the massive wind, Wolfram's chains snapped and flew towards the guards, where they reassembled and held all three of them together tightly... and... in a rather _awkward_ position.

"JUSTICE!" he concluded, and the guards soon found themselves fastened to a tree with the word "justice" carved above them.

"Rest there a while and think about what you've done," the Maou laughed. "I will do the same..."

And with that, he passed out.

"Heika!" Konrad cried and quickly caught him before hitting the ground.

"Yuuri!" Wolfram added and ran to his side, taking him—perhaps by force—from Konrad's arms.

"My, my!" Cheri clapped as she reappeared at the scene. "That was indeed quite exciting! I knew those guys wouldn't play fair."

"M-Mother!!" Wolfram growled once more. "Don't tell me you hired _real_ criminals!!??"

"Well, it's no fun if they're just _acting_," Cheri shrugged, as if it were an obvious decision.

"I couldn't move..." Wolfram explained quietly. "If Yuuri hadn't become the Maou again..."

"Huh...? What about me...?" Yuuri asked in a bit of a daze as he came to. "Ah!! Wolfram!!" He jumped to his feet and embraced him tightly. He then pulled away and looked into Wolfram's wide eyes. "Are you all right!?"

"I... I..." Wolfram stammered. "I didn't think... you'd come..."

"What are you talking about!? Of _course_ I came!" Yuuri assured him. "I... I was... worried about you..."

"You..." Wolfram blushed madly. "You were...?"

"Let's go home, Wolfram..." Yuuri smiled warmly. "We can talk there?"

Wolfram, left speechless, simply nodded.

Yuuri and Wolfram sat now in Yuuri's bed. Both of them looked down at the ground, shifting occasional glances at one another, but quickly back at the floor again as soon as the other had realized it.

"You... You said we could talk...?" Wolfram reminded, as if Yuuri might have forgotten.

"Yeah..." Yuuri swallowed hard. This was more difficult than he had imagined. He knew everything that he should be saying now, but was he sure that those things properly described his feelings? He had done some serious reflecting on his reactions... his emotions about several past events. Thusly, he had come to the conclusion that he _did_ have feelings for Wolfram. And yet...

"Yuuri..." Wolfram said now, a bit more sternly. Yuuri glanced over and noticed that Wolfram was pulling firmly at his pants, clinging the fabric tightly within his shaky grasp. "It's not a game... I'm not playing around, you know..."

"I—I know!" Yuuri assured him. "I just... I was... I _was_ worried about you..."

"That doesn't really... mean anything..." Wolfram explained.

"I... know..." Yuuri sighed. "But... it wasn't just that... There have been many other times when... I find myself...... thinking of you."

"... And?" Wolfram asked eagerly. Yuuri's expression softened.

"In those times... I was... happy," he grinned. "Wolfram, I really... _really_ think that I—"

He should have liked to have finished his sentence there, but perhaps his words were unnecessary then. Wolfram apparently thought so, for he was the interruption when he placed his lips upon Yuuri's, locking them tightly together.

This time, Yuuri closed his eyes and accepted the kiss happily. Wolfram slowly and surely pushed Yuuri down and the bed such that they were now parallel to it.

It was a deep, passionate kiss, and Yuuri knew now that this _was_ what he wanted with Wolfram. He didn't know what part of that boy made him feel the way he did, but he was glad for it, and he was lost now in a wonderful happiness.

Suddenly, however, his eyes shot open and he pushed Wolfram away a bit.

"Wolfram—your t-t-tongue!!" he choked out. Wolfram rolled his eyes.

"Yuuri, do you know what 'making out' _is_!?" he sighed. Yuuri simply blushed.

"S-Sorry... It was just... so... sudden," he laughed nervously.

He was glad to know that things would remain as they were before. There still didn't need to be a dull moment. Things were good before, but they were definitely better now.

THE END (at last)


End file.
